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philosophy 4-第4章

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to have a room…mate who had attained。  If Billy had not been so

dog…tired last night; he would have sat up and made John tell him

everything from beginning to end。



〃Soft…shell crabs; broiled live lobster; salmon; grass…plover;

dough…birds; and rum omelette;〃 he was now reciting to Bertie。



〃They say the rum there is old Jamaica brought in slave…ships;〃 said

Bertie; reverently。



〃I've heard he has white port of 1820;〃 said Billy; 〃and claret and

champagne。〃



Bertie looked out of the window。  〃This is the finest day there's been;〃

said he。  Then he looked at his watch。  It was twenty…five minutes

before Oscar。  Then he looked Billy hard in the eye。  〃Have you any

sand?〃 he inquired。



It was a challenge to Billy's manhood。  〃Sand!〃 he yelled; sitting up。



Both of them in an instant had left the table and bounded out of the

house。  〃I'll meet you at Pike's;〃 said Billy to Bertie。  〃Make him give

us the black gelding。〃



〃Might as well bring our notes along;〃 Bertie called after his rushing

friend; 〃and get John to tell you the road。〃



To see their haste; as the two fled in opposite directions upon their

errands; you would have supposed them under some crying call of

obligation; or else to be escaping from justice。



Twenty minutes later they were seated behind the black gelding and bound

on their journey in search of the bird…in…Hand。  Their notes in

Philosophy 4 were stowed under the buggy…seat。



〃Did Oscar see you?〃  Bertie inquired。



〃Not he;〃 cried Billy; joyously。



〃Oscar will wonder;〃 said Bertie; and he gave the black gelding a

triumphant touch with the whip。



You see; it was Oscar that had made them run go; or; rather; it was Duty

and Fate walking in Oscar's displeasing likeness。  Nothing easier;

nothing more reasonable; than to see the tutor and tell him they should

not need him to…day。  But that would have spoiled everything。  They did

not know it; but deep in their childlike hearts was a delicious sense

that in thus unaccountably disappearing they had won a great game; had

got away ahead of Duty and Fate。  After all it did bear some resemblance

to an escape from justice。            。



Could he have known this; Oscar would have felt more superior than ever。

Punctually at the hour agreed; ten o'clock he rapped at Billy's door and

stood waiting; his leather wallet of notes nipped safe between elbow and

ribs。  Then he knocked again。  Then he tried the door; and as it was

open; he walked deferentially into the sitting room。  Sonorous snores

came from one of the bedrooms。  Oscar peered in and saw John; but he saw

no Billy in the other bed。  Then; always deferential; he sat down in the

sitting room and watched a couple of prettily striped coats hanging in a

half…open closet。



At that moment the black gelding was flirtatiously crossing the

drawbridge over the Charles on the Allston Road。  The gelding knew the

clank of those suspending chains and the slight unsteadiness of the

meeting halves of the bridge as well as it knew oats。  But it could not

enjoy its own entirely premeditated surprise quite so much as Bertie and

Billy were enjoying their entirely unpremeditated flight from Oscar。 The

wind rippled on the water; down at the boat…house Smith was helping some

one embark in a single scull; they saw the green meadows toward

Brighton; their foreheads felt cool and unvexed; and each new minute had

the savor of fresh forbidden fruit。



〃How do we go?〃 said Bertie。



〃I forgot I had a bet with John until I had waked him;〃 said Billy。  〃He

bet me five last night I couldn't find it; and I took him。  Of course;

after that I had no right to ask him anything; and he thought I was

funny。  He said I couldn't find out if the landlady's hair was her own。

I went him another five on that。〃



〃How do you say we ought to go?〃 said Bertie; presently。



〃Quincy; I'm sure。〃



They were now crossing the Albany tracks at Allston。  〃We're going to

get there;〃 said Bertie; and he turned the black gelding toward

Brookline and Jamaica Plain。



The enchanting day surrounded them。  The suburban houses; even the

suburban street…cars; seemed part of one great universal plan of

enjoyment。  Pleasantness so radiated from the boys' faces and from their

general appearance of clean white flannel trousers and soft clean shirts

of pink and blue that a driver on a passing car leaned to look after

them with a smile and a butcher hailed them with loud brotherhood from

his cart。  They turned a corner; and from a long way off came the sight

of the tower of Memorial Hall。  Plain above all intervening tenements

and foliage it rose。  Over there beneath its shadow were examinations

and Oscar。  It caught Billy's roving eye; and he nudged Bertie; pointing

silently to it。  〃Ha; ha!〃 sang Bertie。  And beneath his light whip the

gelding sprang forward into its stride。





The clocks of Massachusetts struck eleven。  Oscar rose doubtfully from

his chair in Billy's study。  Again he looked into Billy's bedroom and at

the empty bed。  Then he went for a moment and watched the still forcibly

sleeping John。  He turned his eyes this way and that; and after standing

for a while moved quietly back to his chair and sat down with the

leather wallet of notes on his lap; his knees together; and his

unblocked shoes touching。  In due time the clocks of Massachusetts

struck noon。





In a meadow where a brown amber stream ran; lay Bertie and Billy on the

grass。  Their summer coats were off; their belts loosened。  They watched

with eyes half closed the long water…weeds moving gently as the current

waved and twined them。  The black gelding; brought along a farm road and

through a gate; waited at its ease in the field beside a stone wall。 Now

and then it stretched and cropped a young leaf from a vine that grew

over the wall; and now and then the want wind brought down the fruit

blossoms all over the meadow。  They fell from the tree where Bertie and

Billy lay; and the boys brushed them from their faces。  Not very far

away was Blue Hill; softly shining; and crows high up in the air came

from it occasionally across here。



By one o'clock a change had come in Billy's room。  Oscar during that

hour had opened his satchel of philosophy upon his lap and read his

notes attentively。  Being almost word perfect in many parts of them; he

now spent his unexpected leisure in acquiring accurately the language of

still further paragraphs。〃  The sharp line of demarcation which

Descartes drew between consciousness and the material world;〃 whispered

Oscar with satisfaction; and knew that if Descartes were on the

examination paper he could start with this and go on for nearly twenty

lines before he would have to use any words of his own。  As he

memorized; the chambermaid; who had come to do the bedrooms three times

already and had gone away again; now returned and no longer restrained

her indignation。  〃Get up Mr。 Blake! 〃 she vociferated to the sleeping

John; 〃you ought to be ashamed!〃  And she shook the bedstead。  Thus John

had come to rise and discover Oscar。  The patient tutor explained

himself as John listened in his pyjamas。



〃Why; I'm sorry;〃 said he; 〃but I don't believe they'll get back very

soon。〃



〃They have gone away?〃 asked Oscar; sharply。



〃Ahyes;〃 returned the reticent John。  〃An unexpected matter of

importance。〃



〃But; my dear sir; those gentlemen know nothing!  Philosophy 4 is

tomorrow; and they know nothing。〃



〃They'll have to stand it; then;〃 said John; with a grin。



〃And my time。  I am waiting here。  I am engaged to teach them。  I have

been waiting here since ten。  They engaged me all day and this evening。



〃I don't believe there's the slightest use in your waiting now; you

know。  They'll probably let you know when they come back。〃



〃Probably!  But they have engaged my time。  The girl knows I was here

ready at ten。  I call you to witness that you found me waiting; ready at

any time。〃



John in his pyjamas stared at Oscar。  〃Why; of course they'll pay you

the whole thing;〃 said he; coldly; 〃stay here if you prefer。〃  And he

went into the bathroom and closed the door。



The tutor stood awhile; holding his notes and turning his little eyes

this way and that。  His young days had been dedicated to getting the

better of his neighbor; because otherwise his neighbor would get the

better of him。  Oscar had never suspected the existence of boys like

John and Bertie and Billy。  He stood holding his notes; and then;

buckling them up once more; he left the room with evidently reluctant

steps。  It was at this time that the clocks struck one。





In their field among the soft new grass sat Bertie and Billy some ten

yards apart; each with his back against an apple tree。  Each had his

notes and took his turn at questioning the other。  Thus the names of the

Greek philosophers with their dates and doctrines were shout
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